figure of speech

A figure of speech is used to creatively portray a sentence to make it more descriptive and imaginative. It is the same as "figurative language," as it paints a more lucid picture for you with the use of poetic words or words that do not portray their literal meaning. Here are some common kinds of figures of speech that you probably have seen in newspapers or books.

Simile
1. A simile is a figure of speech that compares one noun to another noun, usually with the words "as" or "like" in the sentence. A simile can be as precise or as poetic as you want it to be. Some examples of a simile: "She's as pretty as a rose" and "I slept like a log."
Metaphor
2. Metaphors also compare one thing to another in terms of a different object or idea, often using the word "is." In a figure of speech, they are plainly stated, to the point and directly said. Examples of metaphors: " Her mind is a prison" and "The man is a devil."
Hyperbole
3. Hyperbole distorts facts and is meant to exaggerate a sentence, making the figure of speech critical, sometimes satirical and oftentimes humorous. "He was as big as a whale" and "I'm as hungry as a hippo" are some examples.
Oxymoron
4. An oxymoron uses two words that flatly contradict each other in one sentence. These polar opposite words are meant to give obvious hints to the underlying meaning of the sentence. Examples this figure of speech: "Your poetry is bittersweet" and "The room became deafeningly silent."
Personification
5. This type of figure of speech gives human characteristics to a noun for attribution purposes. You can use it to personify animals, things and ideas. Some examples of personification: "The flowers were grateful for being watered" and "The wind is howling."
Onomatopoeia
6. Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech that reflects the noise a sound makes. An example of this is "the clock tick-tocks," as it describes the sound the ticking of the clock makes and imitates the noise into words. The sounds literally make the meaning in such words as "buzz," "zoom" and "bam."

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References

* Some English Rules of Figures of Speech